Refrig erato r-c rate



" (No Model.)

W. A. SOHREI. REFRIGERATOR CRATE.

Patented'Oot. 1,1895.

\VILLIAM A. SOHREI, OF SOUTH OMAHA, NEBRASKA.

REFRIGERATQR-CRAT E.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 547,185, dated October1, 1895.

Application filed May 31, 1895. Serial No. 551,257. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, WVILLIAM A. SCHREI, a citizen of the United States,residing at South Omaha, in the county of Douglas and State of Nebraska,have invented certain new and useful Improvements inRefrigerator-Crates; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear,and exact description of the invention, such as will enable othersskilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same,reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters ofreference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements inrefrigerator-crates which are designed for use in shipping perishableproducts, the aim of the invention being to produce a shipping box orcrate for the purpose described which will be simple in construction,which may be used in one ship ment of perishable goods, and then at itsdestination be destroyed to save the expense of its return to theshipper.

A further object of the invention consists in the provision of awater-tight cold-conducting separator between the perishable productscontained'in the box or crate and the ice rcceptacle above, the edges ofthe separator overlapping, the edges of the box to prevent the waterfrom the melting ice entering the receptacle containing the productsbeing transported.

,To these ends and to such others as the invention may pertain the sameconsists, further, in the novel construction, combination, andadaptation of the parts, as will be hereinafter more fully defined inthe appended claim.

I clearly illustrate my invention in the accompanying drawings, which,with the letters of reference marked thereon, form a part of thisspecification, and in which drawingssimilar letters of referenceindicate like parts throughout the several views, in which- Figure 1 isa perspective View of the crate closed in shape for shipment withoverlapping frame for ice-receptacle. Fig. 2 is a Fig, 3 is a Verticallongitudinal section through the crate with overlapping frame forice'receptacle. Fig. 4 is a vertical longitudinal section through thecrate with cleats for fastening ice-receptacle to box,

Reference now being had to the details of the drawings by letter, Adesignates the box or receptacle designed to hold the perishableproducts to be transported, and on its under side is provided with thecleats B.

D is a framework which is provided to retain the ice and is adapted torest on the cleats O at each end of the box A, the ice resting on thesheet-iron or metallic cover E, which has its ends bent down over theends of the box, so as to allow the water melting from the ice to beconveyed off and not allowed to enter the box containing the perishableproducts.

F is a a cover for the framework D and is designed to be nailed orotherwise secured thereto.

From the above it will be seen that the Whole purpose of the inventionis to provide a simple, inexpensive refrigerator shippingcrate, whichcan be constructed so cheaply that it would not pay to return the cratefor a second'shipping,

The ice-retaining frames may be securely held to the sides of the box orfastened by means of cleats G, which are perpendicularly securedat'their upper ends to the outer corners of the ice-retaining frame, thefree ends of said cleats extending down over the meeting edges of theframe, metallic cover, and box and adapted to be secured to the saidboxby any suitable means, and the ice contained within its inclosing sidesand on the metallic separator will cause the contents of the box to bekept cool by the natural tendency of at mosphere to settle.

In Figs. 1 and 3 of the drawings I have shown a slight modificationinthe form of the crate. In this modified form the vertical cleats G atthe corners of the crate are dis' pensed with and the upper portion ofthe crate is fitted down over the upper edges of the lower portion,resting upon the horizontal strips 0, as shown in the drawings.

Having thus describedrny invention, what I claim to be new, and desireto secure by Letters Patent, is

As an improved article of mannfacturea reframe, plate and box, and of acover F, all frigerator-shipping" crate, having in combinasubstantiallyas shown and described. IO tion with the box A, a metallic plateE withits In testimony whereof I affix my signature edges bent over the upperedges of said box, in presence of two Witnesses.

5 an inclosing frame D adapted to rest on said WILLIAM A. SOHREI.

metallic plate, the cleats G secured at each Witnesses: corner of saidframe, and their free ends eX- THOS. WVHITTLESEY, tended down over themeeting edges of said R. A. CARPENTER.

